Students from different organizations attended Rock the Vote to support their homecoming candidates. (Sidney Hollingsworth/The Daily Campus)
With Homecoming week activities going at full speed, students are gearing up for this weekend’s festivities with Peruna painting, banner competitions, float building and the race for Homecoming king and queen.
Students filled Westcott Field Monday evening to support their respective homecoming candidates. Set up like a pep rally, Rock the Vote served as forum in which students could express their school spirit and pride for their organizations and candidates.
This year’s theme, “Homecoming for the Holidays,” allowed organizations to chose a particular holiday as its individual theme.
Dressed in their organization colors, students sported Santa Claus hats, St. Patrick’s Day clovers, flags boas witch hats to match their organization particular theme.
Holding balloons and noisemakers, each group cheered for their candidate who was out on the field.
Michael Pittman, a member of Student Foundation, acted as the host. He introduced each candidate was introduced by name and organization, and asked anecdotal questions like “What is your ideal date?”
“Rock the Vote is one of my favorite Homecoming events because you really see all the organizations’ spirit and support for their candidate,” Student Foundation President John Angle said.
“RTV [Rock the Vote] is part of the larger spirit points competition that all-together is 25 percent of the overall candidate’s score. Organizations attendance and spirit is required to receive participation points.”
SMU moms and dads stood, cameras in hand, at the edge of the railings, waiting to hear their candidate speak.
Additionally, everyone in attendance was reminded of Pigskin Revue – which is Friday night at 8:15 p.m. in McFarlin Auditorium at no cost. Put on by the Mustang Band, the revue is an event to promote school spirit and tradition.
Also, Michael Graves, a representative of The Union, encouraged every organization to participate in the Homecoming Giving Challenge. All this week, members are asked to donate to SMU, and the organization with the highest participation will receive $1,000 to be given to the campus area of their choosing. Winners will be announced at the Homecoming football game on Saturday.
Winners for field day, window painting, banner competition and Peruna painting were announced.
Kappa Alpha Theta and Pi Kappa Alpha took home first place in banner painting and field day.
Field day’s second place and third place spots went to Association of Black Students and Asian Council and Pi Beta Phi and Phi Gamma Delta, respectively.
Alpha Chi Omega and Beta Theta Pi took home first place for window painting, tied for first place in banner competition and received third place in for their Peruna painting.
Kappa Kappa Gamma and Sigma Alpha Epsilon took home second place in window painting.
Third and fourth place for window painting went to Chi Omega and Sigma Phi Epsilon and Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) and College Hispanic American Students (CHAS) tied for third place in window painting. MGC and Chas also tied for second place in the Peruna painting competition.
Delta Delta Delta and Lambda Chi Alpha won second place in the banner competition, while Gamma Phi Beta and Beta Upsilon Chi took home third place.
Meadows took home first place in Peruna painting and SPECTRUM took home second place.
Groups will continue to work on their floats all week, which will be apart of the parade Saturday at 11 a.m. During halftime in the game against Memphis, Homecoming king and queen will be announced, as well as the winners of Homecoming overall. Kickoff for the game will be at 2 p.m.
“I could not be happier with the Homecoming Committee’s work so far, and with how Homecoming is going,” Angle said.
Additional reporting by Tim Welch.
